IIT-Delhi too to conduct own test

The Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-Delhi) yesterday revolted against the human resource development ministry’s move for a common entrance test and decided to hold its own entrance exam from next year. “We have rejected the governments’ proposal and instead will have our own separate test,” IIT Faculty Federation president Sanjeev Sanghi said. The IIT-Delhi is latest to join several of its counterparts in other parts of the country to oppose the proposed common entrance test, which merges IIT Joint Entrance Exam (IIT-JEE) with the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and also includes a fixed weightage from school board exam. The decision, taken following a meeting of the IIT Delhi senate yesterday, said the exams would be conducted in association with IIT-Kanpur, which has also rejected the government’s single entrance test move. “As of now we have associated with IIT-Kanpur. We will be willing to associate with other IITs if they wish to join us,” added Sanghi, who heads the national body of IIT teachers which is leading the battle against the new format along with IIT alumni associations. The IIT Faculty Federation and alumni associations have called the decision an attack on the autonomy of the institutions. They have said the senates were overruled while taking this decision, even as several IIT directors spoke in favour of the new format. The professors, alumni and those close to the IITs fear the new format will “dilute” the institutions. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal contends that the common test was in favour of students. IITs have been holding a joint entrance exam. However, the new format combines it with the entrance exam for the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).from gulf times.